Australian Human Rights Commission

"Equal Opportunity Commission" redirects here. For the United States's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, see Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Australian Human Rights Commission
Statutory authority overview
Formed 1986
Preceding Statutory authority
  • Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Jurisdiction Commonwealth of Australia
Headquarters Sydney
Employees 126[1]
Minister responsible
Statutory authority executives
  • Gillian Triggs,
    President, Australian Human Rights Commission
  • (vacant), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner
  • Alastair McEwin, Disability Discrimination Commissioner
  • Edward Santow, Human Rights Commissioner
  • Tim Soutphommasane, Race Discrimination Commissioner
  • Kate Jenkins, Sex Discrimination Commissioner
  • Kay Patterson, Age Discrimination Commissioner
  • Megan Mitchell, National Children's Commissioner
Key documents
Website humanrights.gov.au

The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, established in 1986 as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and renamed in 2008. It is a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia's anti-discrimination legislation in relation to Commonwealth Agencies. Matters that can be investigated by the Commission under the Australian Human Rights Commission Regulations 1989 include "discrimination on the grounds of race or nationality, colour or ethnic origin, racial vilification, age, sex or gender, sexual harassment, marital or relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, care status, actual or potential pregnancy, breastfeeding, trade union activity, criminal record, medical record, impairment or physical disability".[2]

Commission officebearers

The Commission falls under the portfolio of the Attorney-General of Australia.

Commission presidents

The following individuals have been appointed as President of the Human Rights Commission, and its precedent organisation:[3]

Order Official Official title Term
1 Marcus Einfeld President, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 1986–1990
2 Ronald Wilson 1990–1998
3 Alice Tay 1998–2003
4 John von Doussa 2003–2008
5 Catherine Branson President, Australian Human Rights Commission 2008–2012
6 Gillian Triggs 2012–present
1 Einfeld was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1997; however, his commission as a QC was revoked on 26 November 2008.[4]

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner:[3]

Order Official Official title Term
1 Mick Dodson Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner 1993–1998
2 Zita Antonio 1998–1999 (acting)
3 Bil Jonas 1999–2004
4 Tom Calma 2004–2010
5 Mick Gooda 2010–2016

Disability Discrimination Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Disability Discrimination Commissioners:[3]

Order Official Official title Term
1 Elizabeth Hastings Disability Discrimination Commissioner 1993–1997
2 Chris Sidoti 1998 (acting)
3 Susan Halliday 1999 (acting)
4 Sev Ozdowski 2000–2005 (acting)
5 Graeme Innes 2005–2014
6 Susan Ryan 2014–2016 (acting)
7 Alastair McEwin 2016–present

Human Rights Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Human Rights Commissioner:[3][5]

Order Official Official title Term
1 Brian Burdekin Human Rights Commissioner 1986–1994
2 Chris Sidoti 1995–2000
3 Sev Ozdowski 2000–2005
4 Graeme Innes 2005–2009
5 Catherine Branson 2009–2012
6 Tim Wilson 2013–2016
7 Edward Santow 2016–present

Race Discrimination Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Race Discrimination Commissioner:[3]

Order Official Official title Term
1 Irene Moss Race Discrimination Commissioner 1986–1994
2 Zita Antonios 1994–1999
3 Bill Jonas 1999–2004 (acting)
4 Tom Calma 2004–2009
5 Graeme Innes 2009–2011
6 Helen Szoke 2011–2013
7 Gillian Triggs 2013 (acting)
8 Tim Soutphommasane 2013–present

Sex Discrimination Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Sex Discrimination Commissioner:[3]

Order Official Official title Term
1 Pam O'Neil Sex Discrimination Commissioner 1984–1988
2 Quentin Bryce 1988–1993
3 Susan Walpole 1993–1997
4 Moira Scollay 1997–1998 (acting)
5 Susan Halliday 1998–2001
6 Pru Goward 2001–2007
7 Justice John von Doussa 2007 (acting)
8 Elizabeth Broderick 2007–2015
9 Kate Jenkins 2016–present

Age Discrimination Commissioner

The following individuals have been appointed as an Age Discrimination Commissioner, or precedent titles:[3]

Order Official Official title Term
1 Pru Goward Commissioner Responsible for Age Discrimination 2005–2007
2 Justice John von Doussa 2007 (acting)
3 Elizabeth Broderick 2007–2011
4 Susan Ryan Age Discrimination Commissioner 2011–2016
5 Kay Patterson Age Discrimination Commissioner 2016–present

National Children's Commissioner

The following individuals have been appointed as a National Children's Commissioner:[3]

Order Official Official title Term
1 Megan Mitchell National Children's Commissioner 2013–present

Privacy Commissioner

The following have served as Privacy Commissioner, initially at HREOC and then at two other Offices:

Order Official Official title Term
1 Kevin O’Connor, AM Privacy Commissioner (at HREOC) 1989–1996
2 Moira Scollay 1997–1999
3 Malcolm Crompton Privacy Commissioner (at HREOC until July 2000, then at OPC) 1999–2004
4 Karen Curtis Privacy Commissioner (at OPC) 2004–2010
5 Timothy Pilgrim PSM Privacy Commissioner (at OAIC);
Acting Australian Information Commissioner (from 2015) 		2010–present [2016]

On 1 January 1989, the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) established the Privacy Commissioner within the Australian Human Rights Commission (or HREOC as it then was). The Privacy Commissioner continued in HREOC until 1 July 2000, when a new Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) was established by the federal Parliament, and the Privacy Commissioner was separated from the AHRC.

In 2010, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) was established and the previously independent Office of the Privacy Commissioner was subsumed into it. The Privacy Commissioner now came under the supervision of the new Australian Information Commissioner, who could exercise the Privacy Commissioner's powers.

From 2014, the incoming Australian government under PM Tony Abbott attempted to abolish the OAIC, succeeding in having the Australian Information Commissioner (Prof John McMillan) unexpectedly retire early and FOI Commissioner (James Popple) resign,[6] and cutting OAIC's budget. But the Senate failed to pass the necessary legislation (Freedom of Information Amendment (New Arrangements) Bill 2014). Several former judges suggested this pursuit of the abolition of a body created by Parliament without its support for that abolition raises constitutional and rule of law concerns.[7] Then-Privacy Commissioner Pilgrim was appointed as Acting Australian Information Commissioner in July 2015 for three months, filling all three OAIC roles on a part-time basis (and now also administering the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) and the Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 (Cth)). He was reappointed as Acting Australian Information Commissioner in October 2015 for three months, and again on 19 January 2016 until 19 April 2016.[8]

In early 2016, it remained unclear whether the Privacy Commissioner role would be returned to the AHRC if the abolition of the OAIC were to succeed.

On 18 March 2016, the Commonwealth Attorney-General advertised for expressions of interest in the positions, to commence in July, of Age Discrimination Commissioner, Disability Discrimination Commissioner and Human Rights Commissioner.[9]

Legislation

The Commission investigates alleged infringements under the following federal legislation:

From its introduction until 2000 the Commission also hosted the Commissioner administering:

Public inquiries

One of the more visible functions of the Commission is to conduct public inquiries. Some examples of inquires conducted include:

Gender identity and sexuality

Private members bills introduced from both the Australian Greens and the Australian Democrats have tried to add sexuality and/or gender identity to the list of matters that can be investigated by the Commission, which has always failed to pass at least one house of parliament since 1995, because of a lack of support from both the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition in the federal parliament.[12]

In late 2010, the Gillard Labor Government announced that it was undertaking a review of federal anti-discrimination laws, with the aim of introducing a single equality act that would include sexual orientation and gender identity.[13] This was abandoned and instead the Gillard Labor Government introduced another bill – which is mentioned below.

On 25 June 2013, the Australian Federal Parliament passed the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013 with overwhelming support in both houses and became law from Royal Assent three days later by the Governor-General. It became effective from 1 August 2013, making discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, transgender and for the first time in the world, Intersex people, illegal at a national level. Aged care providers who are owned by religious groups will no longer be able to exclude people from aged care services based on their LGBTI or same-sex relationship status. However, religious owned private schools and religious owned hospitals are exempt from gender identity and sexual orientation provisions[14] in the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013.[15] No religious exemptions exist on the basis of intersex status.[14]

Human Rights Awards and Medals

Since 1987, the Human Rights Awards have been presented at the Commission's annual Human Rights Medal and Awards ceremony.

The Human Rights Medal is the highest award of the Human Rights Awards to individuals "for their outstanding contribution to human rights in Australia".

In 2008 the Young People's Human Rights Medal was awarded for the first time.

Other awards are:

International status

The Commission is one of some 70 national human rights institutions (NHRIs) accredited by the International Co-ordinating Committee of NHRIs (ICC), a body sponsored by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The Commission's "A status" accreditation allows it special access to the United Nations human rights system, including speaking rights at the Human Rights Council and other committees. The Commission can present parallel reports ("shadow reports") to UN treaty committees examining Australia's compliance with international human rights instruments. It has been very active in developing NHRIs throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and is a leading member of the Asia Pacific Forum of NHRIs, one of four regional sub-groups of NHRIs.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Table 2". APS Statistical Bulletin 2014-15 (Report). Australian Public Service Commission.
  2. ↑
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Previous Office Holders". President & Commissioners. Australian Human Rights Commission. 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Einfeld stripped of QC status". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2008.
  5. ↑ Ed Santow, head of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, will succeed Tim Wilson as Human Rights Commissioner: Sydney Law School e-News 31 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "The slow death of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner", Canberra Times, 1 September 2015
  7. ↑ Tim Smith, David Harper, Stephen Charles, "Senate's last chance to save FOI watchdog and protect the rule of law", Canberra Times, 22 June 2015
  8. ↑ Commissioner Pilgrim was reported to have recognised the implications of uncertain tenure: "This has, naturally, created uncertainty and speculation particularly amongst administrative law and open government advocacy circles about the ability of the OAIC to be effective and perform the important role that it holds for the community in the privacy and FOI spaces."
  9. ↑ AHRC Commissioners, expressions of interest, March 2016
  10. ↑ "National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2004". Australian Human Rights Commission. 13 May 2004. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  11. ↑ "National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2014". Australian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Australian DemocratsAustralian Democrats Press Releases
  13. ↑ Red Book plan a step towards gay marriage, The Australian, 15 December 2010
  14. 1 2 Australian Parliament, Explanatory Memorandum to the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013, 2013
  15. ↑ Australia outlaws LGBT discrimination under national laws for first time, 25 June 2013

External links

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